How did this year come to an end so quickly. Maybe my age is showing, it used to be that a year lasted forever, now it flies by. Definitely my age…
Here are (in no particular order) my favorite reads for 2023. So far it looks Iike I’m going to reach 150 books read this year which is a record high for me! It was a good reading year, so many 4 or 5 star reads, but I had to draw the line somewhere so I have decided to do a top 10 list. Here we go…
Title: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
Author: Heather Fawcett
Series: Emily Wilde #2
A delightful book, with a quirky, academic main character. She studies the faerie world and can’t help but be drawn into it. Especially considering the charm of her partner/colleague/rival Bambleby hanging around. I loved this, but pick up the first book if you are interested in the series.
Title: The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Author: Katherine Arden
Series:
Katherine Arden is an auto-buy writer for me. Her Winternight Trilogy is an astounding series. This is a standalone book and quite different in tone from her other books. It is bleak and beautiful all at once. It vividly illustrates the terrors of World War I through magical realism. Her writing shines and tears at your heart. Quite wonderful book.
Title: Shady Hollow
Author: Juneau Black
Series: Shady Hollow #1
Total vibe change from the last book, this series has completely captured my heart. I am delighted when I see a new download ready in my Libby app. It’s very cozy, light murder mystery with a cast of woodland creatures and tons of good food. I LOVE every book in the series.
Title: The Trials of Empire
Author: Richard Swan
Series: Empire of the Wolf #3
Wow. This entire series has been amazing. This book in particular was incredible. The way the author enlarges his world with each installment, and all of the themes start to come together. It is *chef’s kiss* and reminds me a lot of N.K. Jemisin’s wonderful Broken Earth Trilogy. It has gravitas (pun intended).
Title: A Necromancer Called Gam Gam
Author: Adam Holcombe
Series: Chronicles of Gam Gam #1
This is just a little novella, but it is absolutely darling. Not that it doesn’t have some darker issues involved, but the characters and their relationships are so heartwarming. I really can’t wait to read the next book, and I gave a copy to my teen daughter to read right away.
Title: House of Odysseus
Author: Claire North
Series: Songs of Penelope #2
Probably my most anticipated book of 2023. I LOVED the first book in the series. I’m not really one for greek myths, and I don’t know much about the original characters, but that didn’t keep me from becoming completely enamored with this book. I really enjoy the story being told from the female perspective. It’s also really funny at time. I can’t wait for book 3.
Title: The Tainted Cup
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan #1
The author just finished another fantastic series which I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to this release. It is so very different from Foundryside but just as enjoyable. Part mystery, part fantasy, with a Holmes/Watson type duo investigating a murder. It reminds me of another set of books on my list.
Title: The Witness for the Dead
Author: Katherine Addison
Series: Cemeteries of Amalo
I adore these books. I have already re-read them again this year. It is somewhat a mystery book, but I also feel like the strength of these is not in the solving of the mystery but in the characters themselves. Thara Celehar is a wonderfully well written, introspective, complicated person. I am really looking forward to any other books this author releases in this series.
Title: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human
Author: Kimberly Lemming
Series: Mead Mishaps #3
Spicy!!! This is so not the type of book I usually read, but it was so ridiculously hilarious I loved every minute of it. So funny and clever. I can’t recommend the series more.
Title: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
Author: Shannon Chakraborty
Series: Amina Al-Sirafi #1
I almost didn’t pick up this book. I’m so glad I changed my mind. The main character is a wonder. A woman of a certain age, regrets getting dragged back into the life of adventure she had left behind. This is an excellent series and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys fantasy books.
Well that’s all for now. I still have two weeks to read some new favorites. In fact, I’m reading Godkiller right now and it is shaping up quite nicely! It’s been a real good year. 🙂
Lost In A Good Book 